Southern California City May Drop Lawsuit Against Sriracha Sauce Maker

Irwindale's mayor said he met behind closed doors with the Huy Fong Foods CEO and two of the governor’s representatives

The mayor of Irwindale said he will ask the City Council to drop the public-nuisance order and lawsuit against the maker of Sriracha hot sauce, possibly bringing the months-long conflict to an end.

The move comes after members of Gov. Jerry Brown's office visited the sauce factory. Mayor Mark Breceda said he met behind closed doors with Huy Fong Foods CEO David Tran and two of the governor’s representatives Tuesday morning.

Breceda said they came to a verbal agreement that he and the City Council will check in with the company when the grinding season begins, which is about mid-July to August. If city officials detect the strong chili odor neighbors complained about, or other issues, the company would immediately have to fix them.

Some residents who live near the plant said the spicy smell wafting from the factory through their neighborhoods burned their eyes and throats. Whether a new filtration system installed at the plant will improve conditions won't be known until the grinding process begins.

Breceda said he expected to receive the agreement in writing before Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. City Council meeting, at which time he was going to present it.

Contact Us